It's a balancing act...

I'm here in Sydney.  Today's not been a total loss.  I did manage to get out of the house with the kids on time, although it became fraught with tension due to Jessica's continuing temper tantrums and refusing to get ready, but the little conversation with the school counsellor yesterday did help me use some of the 'calming down' tactics, and they did actually work.

I had wanted to be on the road by about 9am.  However Jessica's teacher had told me that Jessica was going to get her very 1st Principal's Award at the assembly that morning, and that it would be really good for me to be there for that.  So I dropped them off, raced to feed the mare, but didn't have enough time to get back home to get Heath's yellow shirt, which naturally he'd forgotten to wear for the Walkathon later in the day.  I did arrive just at the start of the assembly though, with the camera on board, and Jessica's name was duly called out, and up she bounced, beaming from ear to ear, and collected her award.  

Then, because I was on a deadine and wanting to get to Sydney to hopefully catch More Joyous in the pool, I raced home to get Heath's shirt, not staying to watch the older kids getting their awards, because no one had said a word about Heath.  I arrived back, and went down to Heath's class to see him holding an award.  I was stricken, thinking 'oh god, I didn't see it', but also so proud and pleased for him.  He's a sensitive boy and I'd been worried about him feeling down because Jessica had gotten an award, and he hadn't.  Thankfully he didn't seem to have noticed me taking pics of Jessica getting hers, and was just v pleased about his own award, and the fact that he'd bought a jelly cup from the canteen (understanding that such things are absolute treats for a little diabetic boy who's been that way since before he was 2 years old).  So we raced outside and took some photographs, then I took him back to class, and kissed him goodbye to head on my way.

A quick call to Gai Waterhouse's stables, which solved nothing of the arrangements I'd been trying to put in place all week, and I was on the road, with an undertaking from Jane that she would call me back.  I heard from her at 12.20pm, when I was still onroute and a good 40 mins from Randwick, saying that More Joyous was heading across to the pool.  My heart sank, and then sank even further when she said 'and she won't be going to the beach tomorrow, and  you can't come to the stables, it needs to be cleared with Gai'.  I had of course doing my best to set this up all week, but there was no point complaining, because clearly I could have been clearer in the phone calls during the week, so said not to worry, and of course thank you for trying so hard on my behalf.  I almost didn't bother going to the pool, however in a 'pull yourself together' moment, I drove first to the beach to sus it out, so I could find it if there turns out to be a next time, and then around to the Randwick Pool, which I can't believe I haven't been to before.

As I pulled up, who should I see, and then run into?  Gai Waterhouse.  She recognised me, and stopped me to say hello.  We had a little chat, I said I'd been trying to get here from Canberra early enough to photograph More Joyous in the pool, but had missed her because of the thing with the kids.  She was instantly sympathetic, and then said 'go to the stables and do her there', and immediately jumped onto her iPhone (with nice pink cover, it is of course a brand new iPhone, not like my worn but lovely - thanx Tom - handmedown iPhone...), phoned her stable staff, and within a minute I had a 2.15pm photo session lined up, and no longer felt inconsequential.  

Thank you Gai......   So the moment with the kids' awards, and with the Special Pony this afternoon, has perhaps helped ease the pain of what has otherwise been a tense and anxious 7 days.......